ADVOCATING, EDUCATING, AND PROMOTING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY OREGON TRUCK ISSUE 4 2023
A publication of the Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. 4005 SE Naef Rd., Portland, OR 97267 503.513.0005 • 888.293.0005 Fax: 503.513.0008 • www.ortrucking.org Jana Jarvis President/CEO jana@ortrucking.org Christine Logue Vice President of Operations christine@ortrucking.org Gregg Dal Ponte Director of Regulatory Compliance gregg@ortrucking.org Adam Williamson Director of Training & Development adam@ortrucking.org Ligia Visan Director of Accounting accounting@ortrucking.org Christa Wendland Communications Consultant wendland@ortrucking.org Jennifer Sitton Communications Consultant jennifer@ortrucking.org Mark Gibson Government Relations Policy Advisor mark@ortrucking.org For information about OTA events and to register online, visit www.ortrucking.org. Published for OTA by LLM Publications PO Box 7137, Bend OR 97708 503.445.2220 • www.llmpubs.com President Stephen Bloss Design Hope Sudol Advertising Sales Ronnie Jacko For information about advertising in the Oregon Truck Dispatch, please contact Ronnie Jacko at 503.445.2234 or ronnie@llmpubs.com. Thank you, advertisers! Your support makes this publication possible. Please support them and tell them you saw them in the OTA Dispatch. 2 OTA Chair’s Message 3 OTA New Members 4 OTA President’s Message 5 Event Calendar Issue 4 2023 CONTENTS Stay Connected With Us @OTAOregon Oregon Trucking Association @ORTrucking @ORTrucking.org Events 6 OTA Celebrates Forward Momentum at 2023 Annual Leadership Convention & Exhibition 1 0 OTA Delivers Free Lunches During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Featured 1 4 OTA Rolls Out New Member Database 18 Threats to Trucking in 2024: Will I Be Able to Buy a Truck Next Year? 2 0 Improving Workers’ Comp Injury Outcomes Through Return-To-Work 2 2 Thank You TruckPAC Leadership Circle! 2 4 Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program Seeks to Address Driver Workforce Shortage 2 6 OTA’s Allied Committee Provides Unique Perspective on Oregon Trucking 2 7 Thank You to OTA’s Allied Members for Supporting Oregon Trucking! 3 0 Multi-Generational Trucking Businesses Offer Insight into Trucking’s Past and Future Safety 34 Association Membership and Trucking Safety
Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch 2 Evan Oneto OTA Chair I want to thank each and every one of you for what you do for your country, your state, your community, your companies, and this association. This Thanksgiving season, I’m grateful to count myself among your ranks. Fall OTA Visits Highlight Diverse Membership, Challenges for Trucking AS CHAIR OF OTA, part of my responsibility is to maintain a dialogue with our members, to see how we can better serve them in the hopes of maintaining and growing our membership. So, this fall I was lucky to get the chance to tour the terminals of some of my fellow Portland area carriers along with OTA’s CEO, Jana Jarvis in order to better understand their priorities as well as their concerns. We visited carriers spanning a wide range of sizes and vocations. We met with everyone from small, family-owned companies, to national LTLs like my own company. We met with carriers in heavy haul and specialized transport, moving, drayage, truckload, fuel distribution, private fleets, and even truck dealers too. And while the folks we visited with were quite diverse, they were united in many of their shared concerns about our industry. I am grateful to each of my fellow OTA members who took the time to sit down with me and Jana and not only talk about their business and explain their challenges, but also to share their ideas, observations, and experience. It was truly instructional to learn about the different business models of such a wide range of carriers. It seems that for every different truck configuration you see driving down the road, there are scores of vastly different types of trucking businesses to go with it. But even more compelling than the facts and figures I learned during my trip is the human component it added to so many of the issues we talk about every day as truckers and as Oregonians. The rise in crime and homelessness seems to be a constant talking point in Portland these days. But to go and see the terminals where hard-working employees are regularly subjected to burglaries, graffiti, and illegal homeless encampments that become centers for drug-dealing and violent crime in the industrial parts of the city where Portland leadership seldom visits, makes the subject feel far more visceral and urgent than any discussion about it happening around a water cooler in a downtown high-rise office. It gave real context to a conversation I had with a mover who talked about the unprecedented number of their customers who were moving out of Multnomah County the last couple years. Visiting some of our heavy haul members and seeing the size of some of the equipment they have to haul through and around Portland added a new dimension to the frustration all carriers seem to feel about encroaching bike lanes and talks of road diets to further narrow lanes, or roundabouts at intersections, that make it less safe for normal loads to move through our road system, let alone the incredible oversize loads these talented companies move with skill and precision. Seeing our truck dealers and witnessing firsthand the amazing knowledge and expertise they provide to such a vast array of customers, I felt the incredibly difficult situation they’re put in by the imposition of impossible environmental mandates forced on engine manufacturers— leaving them on the front lines to explain to truckers the reasons for either the lack of available product or the soaring costs that new engines will incur. In short, my membership visits were a powerful lesson in the vast and varied problems each of us face in our own companies and industries. It made me also appreciate just how many issues OTA must be knowledgeable on and advocate for on our behalf at all levels of government. But I was also impressed by another aspect—the incredible talent, wisdom, and even sometimes optimism that exists among our members despite these challenges. The “can-do” spirit that permeates trucking is still alive and well. My experience visiting you all reminded me that beyond the millions of dollars of Oregon’s economy that we contribute to either directly through our own business or through the
www.ortrucking.org 3 Issue 4 | 2023 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair & ATA State VP Evan Oneto (FedEx) Vice Chair Erik Zander (Omega Morgan) Secretary/Treasurer Bart Sherman (Sherman Bros. Trucking) ATA State VP Nick Card (Blackwell Consolidation) Past Chair Andy Owens (A&M Transport) ISI Rep Diane DeAutremont (Lile Int. Co.) Chair Appointee Ron Riddle (Leavitt’s Freight Service) DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE Greg Galbraith (Market Express) Heather Hayes (Tradewinds Trans.) Charles Ireland (Ireland Trucking) David Hopkins (TP Trucking) Jeff Lorenzini (Old Dominion Freight Lines) Regional Representatives Central Oregon Ron Cholin (Stinger Transport) Eastern Oregon Roni Shaw (Bowman Trucking) Metro Region Tim Love (Carson Oil Co.) Southern Oregon Ryan Hutchens (F.V. Martin Trucking) Willamette Valley Dale Latimer (Ram Trucking) COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES Safety Management Council (SMC) Jennifer King (WHA Insurance) Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Nicole Hawks-Morse (Kool PAK) Standing Committee Representatives Allied Trevin Fountain (Cummins) Government Affairs John Barnes (TEC Equipment) Highway Policy Kirk Watkins (Western Heavy Haul) Image Michael Card (Combined Transport) Membership Nick Card (Combined Transport) OTA in Action Mark Gibson (Siskiyou Transportation) Truck PAC Erik Zander (Omega Morgan) Workforce Billy Dover (Tyree Oil) COMMITTEES Allied Government Affairs Highway Policy Image Membership Oregon TruckPAC OTA in Action Workforce To learn more about the committees or councils listed above, contact OTA at membership@ortrucking.org or 503.513.0005. 2023/2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS OTA Welcomes the Following New Members! All members are listed in our online directory via the member portal. C PNW Intermodal Flow Below Aero Hawk Logistics Laughlin Trucking Oregon Metal Services/Seaport Steel Solera products we haul for our customers, or the strength of our PAC or the skill of our lobbyists, our greatest asset at OTA is our membership. It is in the everyday miracles our companies and our drivers perform, and the hardships we endure with uncommon stoicism and fortitude that make this industry and association truly special. And that is why I encourage each of you to get and stay involved in OTA and tell your story. Because if every local and state lawmaker saw what I saw this fall, I believe it could have an incredible impact in helping us drive toward our goals as an industry. I want to thank each and every one of you for what you do for your country, your state, your community, your companies, and this association. This Thanksgiving season, I’m grateful to count myself among your ranks. See you down the road, Evan
4 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch FROM THE PRESIDENT Jana Jarvis OTA President/CEO FOURTH QUARTER. MOST of 2023 is in the rear-view mirror and we have begun planning for 2024. It seems the busier we are, the faster the year goes and it’s hard to believe that you are likely focused on family and holidays as you read this. We quickly acknowledge the successes of one year before moving on to the challenges of the next. In the trucking industry…the wheels just keep turning! But it’s important to recognize our successes as we build for the future. In 2023, we were finally back to business with our events and—from your comments—they were worth attending. From our Spring Safety Conference (which was actually in the spring this year), to our Maintenance Fair, and our Annual Leadership Convention, participation was nearly back to pre-pandemic levels and feedback from attendees emphasized the value of both the training and the opportunity to network with peers. We started the year with our Southern Oregon Mixer, and it was so encouraging to see so many of you there—by the time you read this, registration will be open for the January 2024 event, and I hope to see even more of the industry there to help start the year in a big way. Our Truck Driving Championship in June was back in Portland at the Old Dominion terminal and even the chaos of the city couldn’t dampen the spirits of those competing and those cheering them on! As I write this, I have just returned from the American Trucking Association’s annual Management Conference and Exhibition where over 2,500 industry professionals were in attendance and the enthusiasm for our industry was contagious. There was a lot of talk about the economy, and it was clear to everyone that there is too much capacity in the industry and there will likely be “corrections” before we can enjoy the strong demand we saw in 2021 and 2022. But this has always been a resilient industry and we provide an essential service to the American people that they saw first-hand when they were shuttered at home. Forecasts indicate there might be a mild recession in early 2024, but most economists expect it to be short-lived. We have already felt this decline as consumers shifted their spending priorities to experiences rather than goods this past year, but uncertainty in the world may stifle some of that spending as the economy settles back into moderate growth. We may need to tighten our belts for bit…but as inventories continue to decline, the demand for trucking will bounce back. We also spent a great deal of time this year on the public policy challenges that the trucking industry is facing. California is once again leading the discussion on environmental policy for our industry by changing the NOx standards and demanding that manufacturers sell increasing percentages of zero-emission vehicles beginning in 2025. Federally, the EPA seems satisfied to let California lead the charge, creating differing standards from state to state. For those states, like Oregon, who have agreed to follow California’s lead, their standards will prevail and truck dealers in Oregon will soon be mandated to sell higher and higher percentages of battery-electric trucks. Quantities of new internal combustion engines for sale will be restricted based on demand for battery-electric vehicles, further confusing the effort to move to newer, cleaner equipment. And for companies doing business in California, new reporting demands will complicate your ability to operate there. In addition, California just finalized their Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) rule, demanding that companies with 50 trucks or more purchase an escalating percentage of zeroemission equipment in the coming years. While Oregon is part of the compact with California, they have yet to adopt a timeline for this rule and we continue to work with them in the hope of providing reason to this debate. And all of this confusion and controversy is for an industry committed to a cleaner, healthier environment. I call this the “field of dreams” approach to public policy—mandate something and then the new technology will appear! Unfortunately for the trucking industry, that is precisely what is happening, and it will take litigation to change the course of the California Air “Nothing Without Trucking.” You know that, and I know that. 2023 in Trucking: A Year Filled with Highs and Lows
5 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 ADVOCATING, EDUCATING, AND PROMOTING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS Resources Board (CARB). As a result of their recent adoption of the ACF rule, the California Trucking Association has filed suit challenging CARB’s ability to enforce these regulations on the trucking industry. Other states and the ATA are joining this effort, and our Board of Directors will be discussing this at our strategic planning session in December. Unfortunately, that is more and more how public policy is going. When policymakers won’t listen to reality, then litigation is often the only course of action. And this issue is not the only major issue that OTA is faced with. As this year’s long legislative session wound to a close, the Highway Cost Allocation study that was scheduled for a presentation in February was finally published in June and presented to the Joint Transportation Committee at their interim committee hearing in September. Of significance to you, this report showed that the trucking industry was grossly overpaying their “fair share” of Oregon’s roadways. Unfortunately, the only recourse to this is to get the legislature to make the necessary adjustments. And with ODOT having spent the entire legislative session educating members that ODOT’s budget is in trouble, making these adjustments won’t be easy. That is why we need you—ALL of you! We need you to get involved with OTA. Volunteer for one of our committees. Volunteer to serve as a liaison to one of our elected officials to help educate them on the challenges facing our industry. Write a TruckPAC check so we can be instrumental in getting individuals elected that will have our back. Volunteer to testify—tell the story of how differing policies will affect your business. You can now do that remotely, so you don’t even need to travel to Salem to testify. Write letters, write emails, GET INVOLVED! I saw ATA’s new tagline when I was at MC&E and it says it all. “Nothing Without Trucking.” You know that, and I know that. Now help me spread the message. Here’s to BIG successes in 2024!
6 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch EVENTS OTA Celebrates Forward Momentum at 2023 Annual Leadership Convention & Exhibition By Jennifer Sitton | OTA Communications Consultant OTA WAS THRILLED to welcome members to Central Oregon this summer for the Annual Leadership Convention & Exhibition. We kicked off the event a day early this year with a golf tournament benefitting the OTA Legal Fund, followed by a free training on FMCA’s safety compliance and enforcement program. The fun began that evening as attendees attended a welcome reception and received a sneak peek at the Allied Partner Exhibition. Day two continued with a timely presentation on zero-emission vehicles, a federal regulatory and legislative update from ATA Chair Dan Van Alstine, and an important panel on “CARB, EPA & Trucks on the Way.” Attendees at that night’s TruckPAC dinner were treated to a lively conversation that evening entitled “Will the Oregon Legislature ever get along again?” with always entertaining former State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson and Jeff Eager, Bend attorney and author of the Oregon Roundup. On the final day of the convention, OTA President & CEO Jana Jarvis delivered the annual State of the Association, providing members insight on what challenges the association will be tackling in the coming year, as well as the progress that’s been made in the last few years during the recovery from the pandemic. Members also heard a tolling update from ODOT, as well as a legislative update from Joint Transportation Committee Co-Chairs Sen. Chris Gorsek and Rep. Susan McLain, and Vice-Chairs Sen. Brian Boquist and Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis. We wrapped up the three-day event with the 2023 OTA Awards Banquet, where Siskiyou Transportation (Mark Gibson) was awarded Carrier Member of the Year and Cummins (Trevin Fountain) received the Allied Member of the Year award. A&M Transport was honored with the 2023 OTA Image Award. Thank you to all of our members who attended this year’s Annual Leadership Convention and all of our allied members who participated in the Exhibition! Don’t forget to mark your calendar for next year’s Annual Convention Aug. 19–21.
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10 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch OTA Delivers Free Lunches During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week By Jennifer Sitton | OTA Communications Consultant OTA STAFF AND volunteers celebrated National Truck Driver Appreciation Week in September by handing out free boxed lunches to drivers as they passed through the Cascade Locks, Ashland, and Woodburn weigh stations. Thanks to the generous donations of so many OTA members, over 650 drivers received a fresh lunch to keep them fueled on the road. “Driver Appreciation Week is one of our favorite events of the year,” said Jana Jarvis, President & CEO of OTA. “It gives us a chance to thank the hard-working truck drivers who keep Oregon’s economy moving every day.” “I always look forward to Driver Appreciation Week not only because we have a free meal to look forward to, but because it gives us a chance to slow down and really be grateful for the work that truck drivers do every day,” said Randy Pray, a flatbed driver from A&M Transport. “A lot of folks don’t think about how their food or clothes arrive on their doorstep. Hopefully Driver Appreciation Week reminds them to thank a trucker for the work they do every day!”
11 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers held 22,840 jobs in Oregon in 2021 and were responsible for moving nearly 91 percent of manufactured tonnage in Oregon. In total, the trucking industry employs 101,030 Oregonians, accounting for 1 in 16 jobs in the state. Nearly 78 percent of communities in the state depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods. While OTA was busy facilitating its annual meal delivery events for Truck Driver Appreciation Week, other trucking companies throughout the state recognized and celebrated their drivers in other unique ways including staff barbecues, employee gifts, and familyfocused events. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Truck Driver Appreciation Week a success! “I always look forward to Driver Appreciation Week not only because we have a free meal to look forward to, but because it gives us a chance to slow down and really be grateful for the work that truck drivers do every day.”
Langdon Farms Golf Club - Aurora, OR July 23, 2024 TRUCKPAC GOLF TOURNAMENT TruckPAC ANNUAL LEADERSHIP CONVENTION Riverhouse on the Deschutes - Bend, OR August 19 - 21, 2024 TMC MAINTENANCE & EDUCATION FAIR Date & Location TBD Maintenance & Education Fair 2024 OTA EVENTS ortrucking.org/events January 25, 2024 SOUTHERN OREGON INDUSTRY MIXER Seven Feathers Casino Resort - Canyonville, OR SOUTHERN OREGON Industry Mixer May 1 - 3, 2024 SPRING SAFETY CONFERENCE Graduate Hotel - Eugene, OR OREGON TRUCK DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS Date & Location TBD TDC
14 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch OTA Rolls Out New Member Database THE OTA TEAM is excited to announce that beginning January 2024, the association will be introducing a new member database! The new database will integrate with OTA’s new website, which was updated last year, and will offer a more user-friendly interface for members, making it easier for you to connect with OTA and fully utilize all of your membership benefits! The new database includes features that will make it easier to register for OTA classes and events, while integrating seamlessly with the OTA website. All existing database features will be included in this new system. Members will receive information soon on how to create a new log-in and password. Keep an eye out for that email and please reach out to our team if you haven’t received it by early 2024. As with any technology update, there may be bumps in the road, but we are excited to be able to offer this new resource to all of our members! Please do not hesitate to reach out to our team if you have any questions or issues once it is launched.
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16 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch TRAINING CATALOG Oregon Trucking Association (OTA) is pleased to offer a wide range of classroom and webinar training courses, certification programs and on-site learning opportunities to assist the trucking industry in reaching their compliance and safety goals. OTA University OTA End of the Year Training Special The Oregon Trucking Association is running an end-of-the-year training special for 2023. All custom trainings—outside of our regularly scheduled classes and webinars—that are booked before the end of the calendar year will receive a 20 percent discount on service fees. For a full range of current training offerings, please review OTA’s 2023 Training Catalog at: ortrucking.org/assets/pdf/OTA+2023+Training+Catalog/. OTA is also taking registrations for our 2024 NW Fleet Safety and Maintenance Certification Programs. These programs have filled up quickly in recent years, so make sure that your safety and maintenance professionals do not miss out! If you have any questions about any of our available training offerings or would like to discuss how OTA can better assist your company’s safety and compliance programs, please feel free to reach out to Adam Williamson at adam@ortrucking.org. Thank you to all those who have participated in our safety and compliance programs over the years. We appreciate your support and partnership in helping to make Oregon roads safer every day.
17 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 OMPANY GO UNNOTICED. ach out today to reserve this and other ad spaces for 2020. Ronnie Jacko (503) 445-2234 ronniej@llmpubs.com
18 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch Threats to Trucking in 2024 Will I Be Able to Buy a Truck Next Year? By Jennifer Sitton | OTA Communications Consultant TRUCKING COMPANIES AND owner-operators in Oregon are not new to legislative and regulatory threats or laws that impact their ability to operate, but in 2024, there are a variety of new regulations coming from out of state that will significantly impact Oregon-based trucking companies’ ability to purchase new trucks in the coming years. OTA members who have been involved in our legislative and regulatory discussions over the last year—or attended OTA’s annual leadership convention this summer—know that the threats to trucking in 2024 are immense. While many of these new regulations are moving targets, with implementation dates constantly being pushed back or adjusted, OTA is keeping a very close eye on how they are progressing and the impacts they will have on our members. Below, you will find summaries of the primary regulatory threats to trucking that we expect to be implemented in the coming years. EPA’s 2027 Low-NOx Rule & California’s Omnibus NOx Rule In Dec. 2022, the U.S. EPA finalized a NOx regulation that established more stringent NOx and particulate matter standards applicable to heavy-duty trucks beginning in 2027. The rule decreases the existing 0.15 NOx standard to 0.035 by 2027. More than a dozen states followed the EPA’s lead and implemented their own NOx regulations, including California and Oregon. On Aug. 1, 2023, California proposed its own Omnibus NOx regulation which established a new NOx rule for new 2024 and later model year medium and heavyduty diesel engines. The rule would have decreased the NOx standard to 0.05 in 2024 and 0.002 in 2027, making California’s standard more stringent than the EPA and on a faster implementation timeline. When it became clear that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) would be unable to supply any engines that qualified for the EPA regulation by the beginning of 2024 and would be unable to sell any trucks once the standards went into place, most states delayed their implementation timelines to 2025, including Oregon. California, however, has yet to delay implementation of its NOx rule. Trucking industry members have expressed significant concerns with these new stringent requirements and have made it clear that newly manufactured vehicles that comply with the new NOx rules will come at a significantly increased cost to truck companies. California’s Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) Rule To reduce emissions, ACT requires OEMs of medium and heavy-duty vehicles to sell zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) or near-zero-emissions vehicles (NZEVs) such as plug-in electric hybrids as an
19 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 increasing percentage of their annual sales from 2024 to 2035. ACT uses a cap-and-trade system, capping the number of fossil fuel vehicles sold by stipulating annual sales percentage requirements. Manufacturers can comply by generating compliance credits through Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) or Near-Zero-Emissions Vehicle (NZEV) sales. Thus far, only battery electric vehicles qualify as ZEVs. While the intent of the rule is to transition all trucks and buses sold in California to ZEVs by 2035, the transition will require significant public and private investments to establish the required infrastructure for electric vehicles as well as to purchase these trucks. Finally, because the rule requires that OEMs sell a specific percentage of ZEVs and there is not a significant market for electric, there is concern that the mandate will result in a lack of non-ZEV vehicles. For example, if the mandate is 10 percent ZEV vehicles and there is zero market for ZEVs, OEMs would not be allowed to sell any non-ZEV vehicles because 10 percent of zero is zero. California’s Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) Rule Intended to serve as another tool to decrease emissions and transition to ZEVs, the ACF requires that High priority (entities that own, operate, or direct at least one vehicle in California and have either $50 million or more in gross annual revenues, or that own, operate, or have common ownership of 50 or more vehicles) and federal fleets must purchase only ZEVs beginning in 2024 or elect to meet ZEV targets as a percentage of the total fleet starting with vehicle types most suitable for electrification. In addition, manufacturers may only sell zero-emission medium and heavyduty vehicles beginning in 2036, and, beginning Jan. 1, 2024, trucks must be registered in the CARB Online System to conduct drayage activities in California. Beginning January 1, 2024, only zeroemission drayage trucks may register in the CARB Online System. All drayage trucks entering seaports and intermodal railyards would be required to be zeroemission by 2035. ATA has joined the California Trucking Association’s lawsuit, explaining that the targets and timelines set by California are unrealistic and unachievable given existing technology and infrastructure for ZEVs. The Bottom Line While decreasing emissions is a commendable effort, these requirements are neither realistic nor achievable, as the ATA has made abundantly clear. The trucking industry has made significant progress in the past decade toward decreasing emissions and improving technology behind ZEV trucks, but the industry simply hasn’t made enough progress to meet these new standards on the stringent timelines required by the EPA and the state of California. ZEV trucks cost anywhere from 1.5–5x more than conventional trucks, let alone the serious range issues, less fuel/distance capacity, and the serious lack of charging and refueling infrastructure. Industry members have also pointed out that ZEVs are not a one-for-one replacement, meaning more trucks will be needed on the roads to move the same amount of freight. Simply put, the trucking industry is being forced into this new technology before the industry is able to safely, adequately, and appropriately meet these new standards. OTA is working closely with our counterparts at ATA, in California and in other states to combat these unrealistic timelines. If you are interested in learning more about these proposals and how they will impact your operations, or getting involved with OTA’s government affairs committee, please email us at info@ ortrucking.org.
20 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch OGSERP discount: 5% for Oct. 1 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024 Questions? Contact Christine Logue at 503.513.0005 or christine@ortrucking.org Workers’ Comp Group Transportation & Trucking In partnership with SAIF, OTA can offer eligible members a workers’ compensation program Annual manual premium equal to, or greater than, $2,500 Be a member in good standing of the association (dues paid current) Earned or unearned experience rating 1.00 or less Group history period* incurred to manual loss ratio less than 40% Eligibility Criteria: For a full list of criteria, visit ortrucking.org/programs-partnerships Improving Workers’ Comp Injury Outcomes Through Return-To-Work THE STATE OF Oregon has unique programs with financial incentives that help Oregon employers bring injured employees back to work. One of these programs is the Employer-at-Injury Program, or EAIP. EAIP benefits employers who offer lightduty or modified work to their injured workers. When an injured worker returns to light duty work, they maintain a connection with their employer, their rate of recovery may improve, and disability resulting from the incident may be reduced. For employers, EAIP can help contain claim costs and can lead to reductions in premiums. Returning employees to work also reduces indirect costs, which can be anywhere from five to 52 times the cost of insurance. These non-insurance costs include rehiring, overtime, and retraining expenses. If you are bringing injured workers back to work and not actively using EAIP, please contact your workers’ comp insurance carrier to see if you are eligible to receive wage subsidy assistance. If you aren’t bringing injured workers back to work, your workers’ comp insurance carrier can help you implement a returnto-work program. In Oregon, all insurers are required to be active participants in providing re-employment assistance. By having dedicated return-to-work staff, SAIF fulfills our mission of meeting the needs By having an active return-to-work policy and participating in EAIP, you can manage workers’ comp costs and contribute to your bottom line.
21 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 of both workers and employers in the recovery process. We also help employees and employers benefit from their 2.2 cents-per-hour payroll assessment into the Department of Consumer and Business Services: Workers’ Benefit Fund: State of Oregon through the Workers’ Compensation Division. This assessment rate is being reduced to 2 cents-per-hour worked beginning in 2024. This reduction is based on the health of the fund and is monitored by legislative oversight. Since 2008, more than 25 percent of workers with an accepted disabling claim have participated in EAIP, which includes reimbursement of 50 percent of the worker’s gross wage for a period of time. In 2022 alone, SAIF policyholders received almost $11 million in reimbursements. When return-to-work consultants work closely with the employer and EAIP specialist, average time-loss days can be reduced. This helps lower costs and increases the chance of an injured worker having a better outcome. By having an active return-to-work policy and participating in EAIP, you can manage workers’ comp costs and contribute to your bottom line. For more information, contact your workers’ comp insurance carrier. This article was made available to OTA through our partnership with SAIF. If you’re interested in learning more about workers’ comp insurance through SAIF, please contact your agent or OTA.
22 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch Thank You TruckPAC Leadership Circle! THE OREGON TRUCKPAC is one of the most important tools OTA has in our toolbox when it comes to advocacy. The Oregon TruckPAC makes it possible for OTA to educate representatives, promote policies beneficial to the industry and, whenever possible, influence the outcome of legislation, regulations, and rules. The Oregon TruckPAC is also used to support candidates who understand the issues facing the trucking industry. This is essentially OTA’s “war chest”—providing the funds needed to battle against harmful initiatives and proposed policies that could alter how trucking operates in Oregon. The trucking industry constantly faces well-funded opposition in the form of labor and environmental special interest groups that make a lot of noise and seemingly have a fair amount of influence on key decisionmakers. TruckPAC can help even the playing field, allowing OTA to build awareness and relationships that can change outcomes for the better. Leadership Circle The TruckPAC Leadership Circle includes companies and individuals who consistently donate at a level of $1,000 or above. Members of the Leadership Circle receive additional benefits including: ` Recognition at events and online ` Exclusive legislative & advocacy updates ` Free tickets to the Leadership Circle Dinner during the OTA Annual Convention & Exhibition Of course, the biggest benefit to Leadership Circle members is the difference that OTA can make with this level of support. To learn more about the Leadership Circle, email us at info@ ortrucking.org. Please join us in thanking OTA’s 2023 TruckPAC Leadership Circle members! $5,000 `A&M Transport ` FedEx ` High Wide Heavy Corridor Coalition $2,500 ` Great Western Trailer ` Independent Dispatch ` Ireland Trucking ` Omega Morgan ` Pape Kenworth ` Premier Truck Group ` Redmond Heavy Haul `TEC Equipment `Western Heavy Haul $1,000 ` Highway Heavy Hauling `Jana Jarvis `Jennifer King ` Leavitt’s Freight Service ` Ram Trucking ` Rick Franklin Corp ` Siskiyou Transportation `Tradewinds Transportation ‘
24 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program Seeks to Address Driver Workforce Shortage By Tyler Tigges, Great West Casualty Company THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY continues to faces challenges in driver hiring and recruiting. In looking for new opportunities to hire drivers, motor carriers face many legal and regulatory barriers, such as the federal law requiring drivers hauling cargo in interstate commerce to be at least 21 years old, though the vast majority of states permit 18-year-old drivers to haul intrastate. However, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in November of 2021 provides both short-term and long-term opportunities for trucking companies to try hiring under 21-year-old drivers for interstate hauling. In the short term, the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program established under the new infrastructure law allows motor carriers to employ young drivers in interstate commerce under certain conditions set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This three-year Pilot Program allows an 18, 19, or 20-year-old driver to operate a truck interstate after completing 240 hours of supervised driving with an experienced driver and 400 hours of driving overall before operating interstate. There are also numerous safety requirements for motor carriers, young drivers, and experienced driver-trainers. Motor carriers can learn more about the requirements at fmcsa.dot.gov/safedriver. In the long term, the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program also has the potential to allow more young drivers to haul interstate in the future. The program conditions and design will allow the FMCSA to gather data on young drivers, including their compliance and safety records. While the program is just getting started, the hope is that the data gathered can show that young drivers with adequate training are able to safely haul cargo interstate. A successful program can help demonstrate to legislators, members of the public, insurers, and safety advocates that well-trained young drivers can help fill some of motor carriers’ workforce needs. Additionally, a successful pilot can help the industry recruit younger drivers to make trucking The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program provides a new opportunity for the trucking industry to hire young drivers and show that they can haul cargo safely in interstate commerce.
25 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 a first career. According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the average age of a driver entering the industry is about 46 years old. That means professional truck driving is typically a second (or more) career for most drivers. Since under 21-year-olds can’t lawfully drive interstate, it isn’t a first career option under current law. This program has the potential to change that. Some motor carriers may be concerned that insurance carriers would not be willing to insure young drivers. From an insurer’s perspective, lack of experience can make a driver a higher risk. Less data on a driver can also make the risk more difficult to evaluate. Many of the requirements in the Pilot Program, such as the training requirements, are designed to help alleviate those concerns. Additionally, motor carriers with a strong relationship with their insurers are more likely to be successful pursuing a young driver hiring program. There are typically several individuals involved in a motor carrier insurance transaction, including the motor carrier, the insurance agent or broker, an underwriter, and an insurer Safety or Risk Control Representative. A relationship with good communication can help provide the best information between all of those parties. Additionally, underwriters will be more open to a new driver hiring program such as a young driver pilot or a finishing school when the underwriter has an advance opportunity to learn about the risk. The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program provides a new opportunity for the trucking industry to hire young drivers and show that they can haul cargo safely in interstate commerce. At the recent ATA Management Conference and Exhibition, FMCSA and ATA staff emphasized that more participants are needed for the program to be effective. Since the FMCSA is actively looking for more participants, motor carriers should contact OTA if they are interested in trying the program.
26 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch OTA’s Allied Committee Provides Unique Perspective on Oregon Trucking By Jennifer Sitton | OTA Communications Consultant OTA’S CARRIER MEMBERS include owner operators, companies with big and small fleets, and even fleets with an international presence. Each of these carriers operates like any other business and often needs services related to HR, finance, legal, health, technology, office operations, etc. They also need products and services specific to the industry, including electronic tracking and logging devices (such as ELDs), brokerage and other logistics services (like load boards and other technology), trucks, trailers, and related parts, emergency cleanup or truck washing services, and more. That’s where OTA’s allied members come in. OTA’s allied partners include companies or individuals who offer a product or service that supports Oregon’s trucking industry. Without some of our allied members, many of OTA’s carrier members would be unable to effectively operate on a day-to-day basis. In the same vein, many of OTA’s allied members are just as dependent on the success of Oregon’s trucking industry as are our carrier members. Which is why our allied members play such a big role in the association and why the Allied Committee is so important. “Most importantly, Allied Committee members serve as a voice for their company in the industry,” said Cummins Northwest’s Trevin Fountain, who serves as OTA’s Allied Committee Chair. OTA’s Allied Committee is responsible for sharing recommendations and best practices with OTA leadership to increase trucking related industry membership and support efforts to enhance the needs of the trucking industry. Comprised of 20 members representing the broad range of allied membership in OTA, the committee provides a unique perspective on the needs of the industry. “Given how quickly our industry changes, there’s always a lot of information to share, both to and from OTA,” said Trevin. “The Committee is important because if we build and maintain strong relationships, it’s relatively easy to disseminate that information and solve problems as they come up.” The Allied Committee is tasked with developing strategies to drive membership and participation in OTA activities, including recommending sponsorship and advertising programs; developing partnership programs that meet allied member needs; developing membership recruitment programs; and recommending programs that benefit the trucking industry’s needs. Like with all OTA committees, the Allied Committee is only as strong as the voices it is hearing from. If you’re interested in learning more about OTA’s Allied Committee or getting involved, please reach out to our team at info@ortrucking.org.
27 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 Our Allied Members play a critical role in supporting OTA’s efforts on behalf of Oregon’s trucking industry. Allied Members are those who offer a product or service that supports the industry. Thank you to each and every one of you for standing up for Oregon trucking! If you’re interested in learning more about one of the following Allied Members, please consult the OTA member directory or reach out to our team at info@oregontrucking.org. Accounting ` Jarrard, Seibert, Pollard & Co., LLC ` Kernutt Stokes LLP ` Moss Adams LLP ` Rosie Books LLC Association ` High Wide Heavy Corridor Coalition ` HTEC ` Oregon Manufactured Housing Association Attorney/Law Firm ` Benesch ` Larry R Davidson Attorney ` Lindsay Hart, LLP ` Markowitz Herbold PC ` Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C. ` Ukishima Reeves PC Banking/Finance/Credit ` BMO Harris Bank ` Rivermark Community Credit Union ` Wallwork Financial CDL Testing ` Rogue Community College ` Western Pacific Truck School of Oregon CDL Training/Driver School ` Elite Truck School ` TRANS360 Inc. ` Umpqua Community College Consultants ` Clean Fleets Advocates, LLC Drug/Alcohol Testing ` CleanFleet Educational Institution ` Chemeketa Community College Electronic Logging Devices/ Tracking Solutions ` EROAD Inc. ` ISAAC Instruments ` Trimble Transportation Environmental Cleanup ` EnviroMet ` First Strike Environmental ` NWFF Environmental Freight Brokerage/3PL `American Freight Inc. ` Gulick Freight Services Logistics Fuel/Oil/Lubricants ` Clean Energy ` McCall Renewable Fuels ` Neste U.S. ` NEXGEN/Carson ` PetroCard, Inc. ` Reed’s Fuel & Trucking ` Tyree Oil Insurance/Risk Management `Acuity Insurance `AOL Services, Inc. ` Elliott Powell Baden & Baker, Inc. ` Great West Casualty Company ` Hub International/Ward Insurance ` JD Fulwiler & Co. Insurance ` Joe Morten & Son, Inc. ` KPD Insurance, Inc. ` LaPorte Insurance ` McGriff, Seibels & Williams of Oregon, Inc. ` PayneWest Insurance ` Propel Insurance ` RIS Insurance Services ` SAIF Corporation ` USI Insurance Services ` Walker Insurance ` WHA Insurance Licensing & Permits ` Glostone Trucking Solutions ` J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. ` Transportation Compliance, LLC Manufacturer `Allison Transmission ` Cummins Sales and Service ` Daimler Trucks North America— Freightliner Thank You to OTA’s Allied Members for Supporting Oregon Trucking!
28 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch Marketing/Advertising ` LLM Publications Medical Facilities/Occupational Medicine ` Cascade Medical Associates ` Rogue Medical Promotional Products ` Crown Trophy Safety Services ` Netradyne ` PrePass Safety Alliance ` Sallak Truck Safety LLC Signage `Anderson Signs, Inc. Technology/Data Specialists ` Blue Arch Technology Services, LLC ` DAT Solutions ` DriverReach, Inc. ` Drivewyze Inc ` Locomation ` McLeod Software ` Road Ready from Clarience Technologies ` Solera, Inc. Trailer Rentals/Leasing ` Mckinney Trailer Rentals Trailer Sales ` General Trailer Parts ` TNT Sales of Oregon ` United Rentals ` Utility Trailer Sales of Oregon LLC ` Western Trailers Transportation Forms & Supplies ` Willamette Traffic Bureau LLC Truck Rentals/Leasing ` Fluid Market Inc. dba Fluid Truck ` Ryder System, Inc. Truck Sales ` Coast Truck Centers, Inc. ` FMI Truck Sales & Service ` Freightliner NW ` J Stout Auctions ` Jackson Group Peterbilt ` Lovell Truck Sales, Inc. ` Northside Ford Truck Sales, Inc ` Papé Kenworth ` Peterson Trucks—Portland ` Premier Truck Group of Oregon ` TEC Equipment Truck Stop ` Jubitz Travel Center ` Pilot Flying J Travel Centers ` Plateau Travel Plaza ` Truck ‘N Travel (TA) Truck/Trailer Manufacturing ` Whit-Log, Inc. Truck/Trailer Parts & Accessories `Air-Weigh `ASE Supply—Thermo By Products ` Brake Systems Inc ` Continental Tire the Americas, LLC ` Driveline Service of Portland, Inc. ` Flow Below Aero, Inc ` Gillespie Graphics ` Industrial Tire Service, Inc. ` Meritor, Inc. ` Potter Webster Company ` Pressure Systems International (PSI) ` Right Weigh Load Scales ` Superior Tire Service Truck/Trailer Repair & Maintenance ` Diesel Emissions Service ` Equipment Mobile Service ` Mac’s Radiator & Repair ` Mount Trailer Company ` Pacific Service Center ` Peak Thermo King Truck/Trailer Washing/Detailing ` JLE TruckWash, Inc. ` Valley Pressure Washing Waste Disposal/Recycling ` B & B Leasing Co., Inc. Other `AE Collision & Towing ` Swanson Group Sales Co Allied Members, cont.
29 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 Annual Sponsors Silver Level Diamond Level Gold Level Bronze Level
30 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch Multi-Generational Trucking Businesses Offer Insight into Trucking’s Past and Future By Jennifer Sitton | OTA Communications Consultant ANYONE WHO HAS worked in a multigenerational business knows that mixing business with family can be challenging, but it also has its benefits. Below, you’ll hear from four multigenerational trucking businesses that still choose to call Oregon home after decades—and in one case over a century—of operations. Whether the business was passed down from great- great-grandfathers or from father to daughter or son, the pride that comes from a family business is evident in everything these companies do. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the perseverance of these family-owned and operated businesses and the many others who operate throughout Oregon every day. A&M Transport When Andy Owens Sr. brought home his first truck on Christmas Eve in 1972, he was looking for a job where he wouldn’t have to be on his feet all day, after years of working in logging and plywood mills. More than five decades later, that first truck purchase would turn into a multigenerational business operating more than 110 trucks on any given day. Andy Sr.’s son Andy was just 15 years old when his dad bought that truck and says that he soon learned what trucking was all about. He learned how to do maintenance on his dad’s trucks, greasing them and changing tires. “When I was 16, when we didn’t have school, I would go with my dad for a weekend and help him load and unload,” said Andy. “Unbeknownst to my mom, he would teach me how to drive. I was going up and down the freeway in a semi-truck at 16.” Andy earned a civil engineering degree from Oregon Institute of Technology and jokes that he uses his degree every day as a “commodities relocation engineer.” “In civil engineering there’s not one exact answer,” said Andy. “There are a lot of options to find the best one. That applies to trucking too. A lot of what we do every day is problem solving.” Today, Andy is the CEO of Glendale, Oregon-based A&M Transport that grew out of his dad’s first truck purchase. The family business that started with his dad driving trucks and his mom managing the books now includes his youngest
31 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 sister who is the company’s CFO, his oldest sister who works in the safety department, his daughter who serves as HR director, his son and nephew who are both in dispatch operations, and his cousin who is the company’s maintenance manager. As with any multi-generational business, there are challenges that come with working with family. Andy says, “Family members will have different opinions, but what matters is how it gets resolved.” The family atmosphere extends to everyone who works for A&M Transport. “I participate in every employee’s orientation,” said Andy. “I’m normally the last one they visit with, and I sit them down and say, ‘Here’s the good news and here’s the bad news.’ The good news is you’ve got a job. The bad news is you’re part of the family here. I say that jokingly, but I mean it wholeheartedly. That’s how I want everyone to treat you here.” That family atmosphere has helped build A&M Transport into one of Oregon’s most well-respected, multi-generational trucking companies. And while that first Christmas when Andy Sr. showed up with a new semi-truck may have been a quiet one, the legacy he built with that first truck will last far beyond what he and his wife could have anticipated. Signature Transport In high school, Dale Lemmons swore he would never be in the trucking business, now 44 years later, he’s made a career out of the industry and business his dad first started with three trucks in 1966. “I grew up around the business and started driving there in 1979 after I got out of high school,” said Dale. “I was working at a retail store at the time. There was a strike at one of the local paper mills and Dad needed someone to transfer the trucks and trailers across the picket line. I realized I could make twice as much driving trucks as I could at the retail store.” Dale drove for his father’s company, Interstate Wood Products, for five or six years before transitioning to the operations side of the company. He worked in dispatch, in the shop, in safety, and in the 1990s he took over as president. In 2007, Dale and his wife bought assets of another company in Kelso and started Signature Transport, which is where he moved the remaining operations from his father’s original company. Today, two of Dale’s three sons work with him, Bryce as the VP of operations and Craig as the VP of maintenance. Dale and the team Signature Transport are working through the succession planning now for them to take over the business in the next few years. “We were always clear to our kids that if you wanted to work in trucking, it’s a great industry, a great place to work, good income and a lot of great people, but if it’s not what you want to do, it can be a rough career if you’re doing something you don’t like,” said Dale. Dale’s father remained involved with the business through 2010 when he retired out of the trucking side, but the two still work together as partners since his father owns a few of the warehouses they use. “Most of the time, Dad and I worked together very well. As always, you bring family dynamics to a family business and have to learn how to set aside the family dynamics to be able to work together on business issues,” said Dale. “It taught me a lot from the father side of that equation now that I’m working with my sons because I’ve been on both sides of it now.” Dale and his wife have expanded their operation in recent years, purchasing Portland-based MG Transport in August 2022 and opening up a 10–15 truck operation in Maine hauling wood chips and logs. But through the expansion and the transition from one generation to the next, Dale and his team have remained focused on their family-friendly values and culture. “We focus on our customers and our people,” said Dale. “We just try to make sure this is a great place to work and hopefully people can come here and do their work and go home and be fulfilled.”
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